August Alsina Bio
August Anthony Alsina Jr. (born September 3, 1992) is an American R&B singer-songwriter whose music blends contemporary R&B with hip-hop influences. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in Houston, Texas, he built a following through self-released mixtapes before signing with The-Dream’s Radio Killa Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. Across his career, he has released multiple studio albums, including Testimony (2014) and This Thing Called Life (2015), and has drawn public attention for both his chart success and his candid discussions of personal health challenges.
Alsina first gained widespread recognition with his 2013 single “I Luv This Shit” featuring Trinidad James, which received double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. He followed that success with the double-platinum “No Love (Remix)” featuring Nicki Minaj and a debut studio album that peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. Beyond music, he has been open about living with a degenerative eye disease and a serious autoimmune condition that has affected his liver.
Early Life and Background
August Anthony Alsina Jr. was born on September 3, 1992, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He attended middle school in New Orleans during his early years. Although no one in his family was musically inclined, Alsina was inspired to sing by Lauryn Hill’s performance in Sister Act 2, a film he watched while growing up.
His early childhood was marked by instability at home. With both his father and stepfather battling crack cocaine addiction, Alsina’s mother relocated the family to Houston, Texas, in search of a fresh start after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Shortly after the move, his father died. At some point during his teenage years, Alsina had disagreements with his mother and was “kicked out” of the home.
Alsina first uploaded videos to YouTube in 2007, at the age of 14, beginning with a cover of “Hypothetically” by Lyfe Jennings. Those early uploads marked the beginning of his path toward a professional music career, and they introduced him to a growing online audience.
Path to Music
After the death of his older brother, Melvin La’Branch III, who was shot and killed on August 31, 2010, Alsina became more committed to pursuing music. He relocated to Atlanta in 2011 to focus on his songwriting and vocal development, drawing influence from artists such as Chris Brown, Usher, and Lyfe Jennings. His music is generally categorized as R&B, often fused with hip-hop and pop elements.
In October 2011, he released an “Untitled” mixtape consisting of six acoustic covers, which served as his first public project. The following year, in April 2012, he self-released his debut mixtape, The Product, marking his official entry into the recording industry. He continued to build momentum with The Product 2, released in May 2013.
His early releases caught the attention of singer-songwriter The-Dream, who signed Alsina to his Radio Killa Records imprint through Def Jam Recordings. This partnership led to the release of his debut commercial extended play, Downtown: Life Under the Gun, in August 2013.
August Alsina Career
Early Career (2012-2013)
Alsina’s first commercial breakthrough arrived in January 2013, when he released the single “I Luv This Shit” featuring Trinidad James. The track performed strongly on radio and eventually received double platinum certification from the RIAA. It was later included on his debut commercial EP, Downtown: Life Under the Gun, which was released on August 20, 2013, and marked his first entry on the Billboard 200.
The EP was supported by additional singles, including “Hell on Earth” and “Ghetto” featuring Rich Homie Quan. “Ghetto” was the most added song on urban radio during the week ending December 12, 2013. By the end of that year, Alsina had established himself as a rising voice in contemporary R&B.
Breakthrough (2014-2015)
On January 14, 2014, Alsina released “Make It Home” featuring Jeezy as the lead single from his debut studio album, Testimony, which arrived on April 15, 2014. Testimony peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and received critical praise. That same year, he was named part of the 2014 XXL Freshmen Class, a recognition that highlighted his rising status in hip-hop and R&B.
He also released the single “No Love (Remix)” featuring Nicki Minaj, which received double platinum certification from the RIAA. In 2014, he guest performed on DJ Khaled’s hit single “Hold You Down.” On December 11, 2015, Alsina released his second studio album, This Thing Called Life. It debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 41,000 copies in the United States. The album was supported by five singles, including “Hip Hop,” “Why I Do It” featuring Lil Wayne, “Song Cry,” “Been Around the World” featuring Chris Brown, and “Dreamer.” In 2016, he appeared on DJ Khaled’s “Do You Mind.”
Notable Works and Milestones
Alsina’s signature releases include his debut album Testimony (2014) and the platinum-certified singles “I Luv This Shit” and “No Love (Remix).” He later self-released his third and fourth studio albums, The Product III: State of Emergency (2020) and Myself (2022), after a long-tenured hiatus and his departure from Def Jam Recordings.
August Alsina Family
Alsina was raised in a household shaped by his parents’ struggles with addiction. His father and stepfather both battled crack cocaine addiction, and his father passed away after the family relocated to Houston following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. His older brother, Melvin La’Branch III, was shot and killed on August 31, 2010, an event that deeply influenced Alsina’s commitment to music.
Alsina has spoken publicly about becoming the guardian of his three nieces. The Product III: State of Emergency highlighted his upbringing, the loss of family members, and his role as a guardian, themes he has continued to address in his music.
Personal Life
In 2016, Alsina was involved in a relationship with actress Jada Pinkett Smith. In June 2020, he publicly discussed the relationship, and in July 2020, Pinkett Smith confirmed on her show Red Table Talk that she had a romantic relationship with Alsina approximately four and a half years earlier, during a period when she and her husband, Will Smith, were separated. Following the public attention, Alsina released a collaboration titled “Entanglements” with rapper Rick Ross in July 2020.
In 2022, Alsina publicly introduced Zu, a male R&B singer, during an episode of the reality TV series The Surreal Life, stating that he wanted to honor Zu for the love they share. The two have since been described by Zu in an Instagram statement as being in a relationship, with Zu noting that he met Alsina when he was already an adult.
Alsina has been open about serious health challenges. In 2015, he revealed that he was going blind due to a degenerative eye disease. In 2017, he disclosed that he suffers from a severe autoimmune disease that attacks his liver, an illness that contributed to a collapse on stage in 2014 and a three-day coma. On July 8, 2019, he shared a video explaining that he had been hospitalized after suffering a loss of mobility, noting that doctors had identified nerve damage throughout his body.